Railroad-car axle



A'. E. SMITH.

Car Axle.

N0. 3 83"; Patented Jan. 8, 1861.

ll l l Witnesses= v I lnventon UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

ALFRED E. SMITH, OF BRoNxvI'LLE, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-GAR AXLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,092, dated January 8, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. SMITH, of Bronxville, Westchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Methods of Constructing Railroad-Car Axles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description of the same.

The object of my invention relates to the method of constructing a milled wrought iron or steel axle having case hardened bearings, so as to combine strength, with lightness, and at the same time cheapness of construction. And the nature of my invention consists in the method of forming a solid wrought iron or steel axle of longitudinal ribs or bars of metal, by the use of rollers or other means, so that by the arrangement of the ribs or bars at right angles to each other, they oppose the greatest amount of resistance to any transverse.

strain, with the least amount of metal, and at the same time reduce the cost of construction, as well in the quantity of metal used, as in the method of their formation. By this method of constructing axles several important objects are attained:

let. A solid cylindrical wrought iron axle of three inches diameter, cannot as a general rule, be forged without leaving fire cracks, which in frosty weather are liable'to exhibit themselves, and consequently break down. This is avoided by my method of forming the axle.

2d. In consequence of so large a mass of metal as contained in the solid cylindrical axle cooling irregularly (after being worked in the forge), the tendency is to granulate the metal at its center, and thus its real strength is always less than its apparent strength, and to some extent is the reason that axles are formed of heavier metal, than is absolutely requisite. In my method the fibrous character of the metal is preserved,-

and consequently a less quantity of metal may be used, and yet preserve the required strength.

3rd. Owing to imperfect lubrication the journals of solid cylindrical axles for rail road cars, often get hot, and in consequence of the great mass of metal contained in them cause a great detention of the train to allow them to cool down. In my axles this difficulty is nearly if not quite overcome,

1st, because of the less density of metal, to retain heat; and 2d, the great amount of radiating surface constantly revolving in a current of air.

&th. Sol-id cylindrical axles are ex ensive not only on account of the quantity of metal used, but also on account of the great care required to forge them. In my improvements these expenses will be reduced fully one half, and yet give equal satisfaction in practical use.

To describe my invention more particularly I will refer to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the

same letters of reference wherever they occur referring to like parts.

Figure 1, is a longitudinal view of the axle. Fig. 2, is a transverse section of the same through the-line w, at, Fig. 1.

Letter A, is the body of my improved wrought iron or wrought steel rail road axle, composed of longitudinal ribs or bars of metal, arranged in the form of a cross, at right angles to each other. This is formed by means of rollers in a suitable mill when the metal isat a welding heat, so as .to roll out the bar in one solid mass, at one operation of any length required, without the necessity of frequent reheatings of the metal to burn it up, as it is technically termed, when metal has to be heated often in order to forge out heavy cylindrical bars of metal. When the body of the axle is thus rolled out the bearings B, are then formed on the ends of the bar, by welding blanks of metal, by the forging operation in the spaces between the longitudinal ribs, so as to form solid cylindrical bearings for the axle to run on. The bearings are then turned down by the lathe operation to the required diameter. After this they are case hardened in the like manner, and by the process described in my patent of May 8, 1860, for case hardening malleable iron boxes, for wagons, &c., which in consequence of the small body of metal used in forming my improved axles, I am enabled to do, and thus utilize the value of case hardened bearings in rail road axles, an improvement never before attainable, or if so at great expense and trouble, and therefore notof the same value as my improvement in the construction of rail road axles.

Having now described my invention and the method of constructing the same I will proceed to set forth What I claim and desire What in the form of a cross, in the manner, to secure by Letters Patent of the United and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

States:

Constructing Wrought iron or steel rail ALFRED SMITH 5 road axles by the arrangement of longitudi- Witnesses:

nal ribs or bars of metal solidly united to- CHARLES L. BARRETT, gether at right angles to each other some- ALBERT SMITH. 

